Pleasant Prairie board disallows RecPlex liability claim filed for April pool injury

The Pleasant Prairie Village Board voted to disallow a liability claim filed on behalf of Emma Jean Swanson alleging an April 20, 2024 head injury at the RecPlex warm‑down pool.

A village administrator presented claim WM0003017423 and said the administration received a report from the village's liability carrier, Statewide Services Inc., dated Sept. 17, 2024, whose investigation "found no liability or negligence on behalf of the village of Pleasant Prairie or RecPlex for this incident." The administrator recommended the board disallow the claim under state statutory guidance (section 893.80 sub. 1g) and directed staff to send a certified letter to the claimant within statutorily required timeframes. A trustee moved to disallow the claim based on the insurer's investigation and statutory language; the motion was seconded and carried.

Trustees pressed staff with questions about the village's insurance status and the pool's flag placement. One trustee noted the investigation said backstroke flags were not required in the warm‑down pool; RecPlex operations staff described flag placement and said adding additional flags at the far end of the water‑park pool would create foot‑traffic and safety concerns. Staff also said the incident was not reported to RecPlex personnel until June 3, and that no direct witness accounts were identified in the insurer's correspondence. The board's approval of disallowance does not preclude the claimant from pursuing other remedies outside the village process.